Conventional systems exist which attempt to identify objects and/or collect data about the objects. For example, inventory-control systems attempt to identify objects being input to, stored in, or output from, for example, an inventory warehouse. Such identification may include attempts to determine whether the objects have been tampered with or otherwise damaged. Similarly, in a manufacturing environment, it is desirable to know whether an object's actual state of assembly matches its desired state of assembly, during a given point in the assembly process. Many other examples of situations exist in which it is necessary or desirable to obtain an identification of an object, and/or data about the object.
Various sensors exist which allow automated or assisted collection of information that may be useful in the above scenarios. For example, Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) tags may be attached to the object in question, and an electronic interrogator may be used to read information about the object from the RFID tag. Similarly, cameras, weight scales, temperature and pressure sensors, and various other sensors exist which assist in the collection of data about a particular object.